Matt, this Black Hall Outfitters a Westbrook told me things have been quieter this week due to the close of tog season and some stormy weather lately. Bottom anglers have looked to Rhode Island to continue to find some tautog action or looked to the deep waters of Connecticut to catch some solid bass.
There are also plenty of striped bass around; so, despite some cool temperatures, this is a good time to find schooling bass both in front of the river mouths, and up the tidal rivers getting ready for winter.
Heather from Black Hawk Sport Fishing reports that the weather, along with the Thanksgiving holiday, shortened the week a bit, but they found good fishing on the days they did go out. The blackfish season has finished strongly but has now closed so they will be focusing on bottom fishing mainly for cod and bass as long as the weather allows them to get out on the ground.
Cod numbers have started to pick up lately so hopefully that will continue. Limits of big bass are still common, and there are still a few good strikes in the mix. New trips will be posted on their website on Monday nights, so be sure to book a date as soon as possible!
Captain Mike Roy a Reel Cast Charters reported that things remained rough last week due to the wind, but found lots of bands in the lower CT river when they got there. The lower CT river still holds a good mass of school bass, along with a few more slot fish in the mix. Capt. Mike is coming off another strong season, but Capt. Jon will still be doing some river trips through December, so check with Mike for some late season bass action!
Tyler, at The world of fishermen in Norwalk reports that things have started to slow down a bit up front, but there are still fish to be caught for those who are trying. Striped bass can still be found making diamond moves in the deeper structure around 28C, 11B and the OB, and there are a couple of nice bluefish left in the mix.
There are still mackerel being caught throughout the Western Sound at times, and they offer a great choice of live bait. There are still plenty of bass on local beaches for anglers hooking up plugs, but the Housatonic is becoming the main draw for bass in the area.
Anglers fishing from shore are finding nice fish around the mouth, while boat anglers are finding fish up and down the river. There are still some bass around, for anglers fishing the deeper reefs like 28C and Bud’s. Saugatuck Reservoir remains the best bet for freshwater anglers in the region, and it appears to have improved this week, with water temperatures dropping quickly.
Smallmouth remain very active in the reservoir, while trout reports seem to have improved quite a bit for anglers dipping shiners under slip bobbers.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Connecticut Fishermen can continue to take advantage of the abundance of striped bass. A few larger bass are still showing up on the Western Sound reefs, while the tidal rivers are loading with mixed-sized residual fish. There is no shortage either school children along the beaches so light striped bass opportunities are plentiful.
Tautog season is over in CT, so bottom anglers are looking to Rhode Island for tautog action or hitting the deeper structure through the sound for big bass. Freshwater fishermen are still taking the advantage of Atlantic salmon in the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers, along with some recent fall trout. fishermen to fish many of the state’s lakes and ponds are finding a strong pre-ice bite for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.